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(No Model.)

T. A WEBER.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR LAMPS.

No. 323,091. Patented July 28, 1885.

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llNrrEn STATES PATENT Enron.

THEODORE A. \VEBEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ANSONIA BRASS AND COPPER COMPANY, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT, AND VVOL- COTT HULL, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 323,091, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed December 13, 1884.

To all whom it iii/cry concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE A. WEBER, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Suspending Devices for Lamps and other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe a suspending device embodying my improvement, and then point out the improvement in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a suspending device embodying my improvement, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both the figures.

A designates a loop, which may be hung on a hook or other appendage of a ceiling or other object. This loop is connected to an arbor, B. As shown, the arbor B has at the upper end a neck, a, or portion of smaller diameter than the portion below it, and the loop A has a hole or eye, b, which receives the neck a within in. The neck is externally screw-threaded, and has a nut, 0, applied to it. The nut C, as shown, has a cylindrical body, 0, which extends into the hole or eye I) of the loop A, and aflange which extends above the lower portion of the loop A. After the nut has been applied to the neck a of the arbor the end of the neck will preferably be upset, to preclude the nut from coming off. Thus the loop and arbor are secured together with a swivel joint. The arbor can be turned around relatively to the loop without becoming detached from it.

Immediately below the neck a of the arbor B the arbor has a cylindric body, 6. Said body is provided with a longitudinal groove, 9. I have shown the body 6 as extending through an aperture in a bar, M, hereinafter to be more fully described, and through a sleeve or tube, a. At the upper end said sleeve is provided with a laterallyextending flange or collar, a rigidly secured thereto. At its lower end the sleeve is provided with a laterally-extending flange or collar, f.

l) designates a frame, here shown having sleeve a by a rivet or otherwise.

(No model.)

a portion, (1, extending approximately parallel to a drum, E, andarm-like portions d. Near its center the portion (1 is provided with a hole adapted to receive the screw-threaded neck a of the arbor B. By this means the arbor B may be rigidly secured to the frame D, and the frame is supported upon the cy- 5 lindric portion 6 of the arbor B.

E designates a cylindric drum, having flanges '6, between which are wound upon it cords or chains F, whereby a lamp or other article may be suspended. This drum, as shown, is closed at the top with the exception of a central hole, enabling it to fit upon the sleeve a. It is provided at the bottom with a cross-piece, j, through a central'aperture, in which also extends the sleeve a. Said crosspiece is rigidly secured to the drum. Instead of one of such cross-pieces I may use two or more. The head or flange f is below the cross-piece and in this example of my improvement is unconnected therewith. The drum E is adapted to rotate about the sleeve a, and is capable of a vertical movement upon the arbor B.

The drum is rotated by the unwinding of the cords or chains Ffrom it. A counter-bal- 7 5 ance is intended to be combined with the drum, for the purpose of resisting the unwinding of the cords or chains, and thereby sustaining the article attached to the cords or chains. I have shown in this example of my improvement 21 counter-balance, G, consisting of a convolute spring. This spring is coiled around the sleeve a. One end is secured to the The rivet I preferably extends through the side of the sleeve to, thereby forming a projection within the sleeve, entering the groove 9 of the body of the arbor. The other end of the spring is fastened to the interior of the drum by rivets or otherwise. When the drum is rotated in 0 one direction, the spring will be coiled up more closely. When relieved of the force which coiled it and kept it coiled up, it uncoils and rotates the drum in the reverse direction.

H designates levers fulcrumed near one of their ends to the arm-like portions d of the frame D. These levers are adapted to be swung backward and forward toward and from the drum. Near their lower ends said levers are provided with guides, here shown as pulleys I, over which pass the cords or chainsF to the lamp or other article to be suspended. I have shown rollers or bowls h,arranged upon the levers H,and adapted to rotate freely upon pins or arbors it", here shown as screws. These rollers or bowls are adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the bar M. They in effect constitute projections upon the levers H.

The bar M extends laterally or in the direc" tion of the diameter of the drum E, above the said drum and between it and the frame D. Its outer ends pass beneath the rollers or bowls h. Said bar fits loosely upon the arbor B and is capable of being moved vertically thereon. In order to prevent the bar from being turned about on the arbor B, I have provided the inner surface of the aperture through which the arbor passes with a groove adapted to receive a rib or projection, h, 011 the arbor B. Secured to the under side of said bar or arranged beneath it is a plate, If, here shown as circular. I prefer to make the plate integral with the bar, but where arranged beneath the bar it should be feathered with the arbor. As shown, the plate h has upon the under side a circular piece or ring of india-rubber,leather, or like material,R,which is secured to the plate in any suitable manner. This ring forms a brake which will act upon the top of the drum when the bar M is moved downwardly toward the drum sufficiently far.

J designates a brake, arranged upon the arbor B below the drum E. I prefer to make this brake of circular shape and secure it rigidly upon the said arbor. A head or nut, K, prevents its being moved off from the arbor. As shown,ithas secured by any suitable means upon its upper surface a ring of india-rubber, leather, or like materia1,L. This ring forms a brake which will act upon the bottom of the drum when the drum is moved down sufficiently far. i

I have shown a coil-spring, N, arranged about the arbor B, and having one end abutting against the plate h", and the other against the drum E,within a circular groove or recess formed therein. I have also shown a similar spring, N, arranged in like manner between the drum and the brake J. The action of these springs is to relieve the drum from the pressure exerted by the brakes when the weight is removed from the cords or chains F. I prefer to arrange other springs, 0, between the arm-like portions (1 of the frame D and the levers H,for swinging the levers outwardly when the weight is relieved upon the cords or chains F; but these may be omitted, if desired.

When the weight of the lamp or other article is brought to bear upon the cords or chains F, it operates to cause the levers H to Swing inwardly, and the rollers or bowls h to travel along upon the top of the bar M with a cam-like action,-which moves the bar M downwardly carrying with it the brake R and the drum E, thus increasing the pressure which the brakes B and J exert upon the drum E. The levers H and rollers or bowls h in effect constitute cams. When the weight is removed from the cords or chains F, the pressure upon the drum exerted-by the brakes is relaxed,and the drum may then rotate freely to rewind the said cords or chains.

It will be seen that the barM and the brake B have a movement vertically relatively to both the drum and the frame, and that the bar M is arranged above the drum and moves downwardly to apply the pressure of the brakes to the drum.

Obviously the sleeve a may be omitted, in which case the counterbalancespring G would have its inner end secured to the arbor in any suitable manner.

All the various parts of the suspending device maybe made of metal, except possibly the pieces R and L. I

The construction of the drum, the supporting of the drum on an arbor, the means whereby an article is to be suspended from the drum, and the spring in the drum for counterbalancing the weight of the suspended article, are

substantially like corresponding parts of adevice which is the subject of an application for Letters Patent filed by me on the 6th day of December, 1884., and numbered 149,656, and a device which is the subject of an application for Letters Patent filed by me on the 12th day of December, 1884, and numbered 150,156.

One of the distinctive features of my application No. 149,656, consists in a frictiondrum made independently of the frame to which the arbor of the drum is connected,and adapted to he slid along the arbor toward the drum when the suspending cords or chains are subjected to the weight of the suspended article, and to slide away from the drum when the said cords or chains are relieved of the weight of the suspended article. Another feature consists in arranging the sliding brake just described below the drum, in adapting the drum to slide lengthwise of the arbor, and in arranging another brake. above the drum and upon the frame to which the arbor of the drum is connected. When the sliding brake is slid upward to the drum, it serves to force the drum up against the upper brake, and hence both brakes will then be rendered effective. Another feature consists in employing awedge or bar having an inclined surface to act with the cords in order to force the sliding brake toward the drum. any of these features in the present application.

One of the distinctive features of my application No. 150,156, consists in toggles supported by the frame to which the arbor is connected, and guides on the toggles for the suspending cords or chains, whereby the weight of the suspended article is enabled to cause the tog- I do not claim IOO gles to apply to the drum a brake arrangedabove it. Another feature consists in providing for giving the drum a vertical movement, arranging one brake below it and another above it, and causing the toggles to force the upper brake down upon the drum,and the drum down on the lower brake when the suspending cords or chains are subjected to the weight of the suspended article. I do not claim any of these features in the present application.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- In a suspending device for a lamp or other article, the combination of a frame, an arbor, a rotary drum upon said arbor capable of vertical movement thereon, cords or chains wound upon said drum, levers fulcrumed upon said frame, guides on said levers over which said cords or chains pass to the lamp or other article to be suspended, projections upon said levers above the guides, a bar upon which said projections bear arranged above the drum, a friction-brake between the bar and the drum, and another friction-brake arranged below the drum, substantially as specified,whereby when the weight of the lamp or other article is brought to bear upon the cords or chains it will operate the levers to cause the projections to exert a cam-like action upon the bar and force it downwardly, so that the friction-brake between it and the drum will exert pressure upon the drum, and the drum will be forced downwardly,when it will be subjected to pressure from the brake below the drum, and whereby when the weight upon the cords or chains is relieved the drum will be released from the action of the brakes.

THEODORE A. WEBER.

\Vitnesses:

'1. J. KEANE, WM. G. LIPSEY. 

